The frontman of an acclaimed rock band is now in ‘complete remission’ from an incurable form of blood cancer following a groundbreaking drugs trial in Manchester.
Mike Peters, who is the frontman for Welsh punk rock band, The Alarm, was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) – which is the most common type of leukaemia, and is usually slow growing – more than 29 years ago, before sadly being diagnosed with a rapidly-progressive blood cancer, known as Richter’s syndrome, earlier this year.
While CLL unfortunately cannot be cured, it is normally known to respond to treatment, and in Mike’s case, the 65-year-old had received four courses of chemotherapy since he was first diagnosed.
Back in April of this year, Mike was about to embark on a 50-date tour of the US with his band when he felt a lump in his neck whilst shaving which had appeared overnight, and following a biopsy of the lump, it was then revealed that he had developed Richter’s syndrome, where his CLL changed into an aggressive fast-growing lymphoma.
The North Wales-based father of two sons was sadly then forced to cancel his tour and disappoint thousands of fans.
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#InTheNews Mike Peters, lead singer of The Alarm, is in remission from a rare form of lymphoma called Richter's syndrome after taking part in a clinical trial at The Christie.
Mike was referred from the North Wales Cancer Centre to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust here in Manchester, and agreed to take part in a randomised phase II clinical trial, which was setting out to investigate the combination of a targeted therapy called acalabrutinib, in combination with standard chemotherapy.
Although acalabrutinib is already approved for CLL, according to The Christie, it had not been tested in combination with chemotherapy for Richter’s Syndrome.
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The aim of this new combined therapy was to increase both the chance of the cancer responding to treatment, and the duration of the response, and so, just two weeks after his diagnosis, Mike started the first of five cycles of chemotherapy.
Rock frontman Mike Peters is now in ‘complete remission’ from an incurable form of blood cancer / Credit: The Christie NHS
Miraculously, a scan in August showed that there are currently no signs of cancer – which doctors describe as “complete remission” – with the plan now being to go ahead with a donor stem cell transplant, which will offer the rockstar the chance of finally being cured of the disease.
“I can’t thank The Christie enough for getting me on this clinical trial,” Mike said.
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“I consider myself lucky I discovered the lump before I’d left for the States, as I might not be here now if I hadn’t. Doctors told me without treatment, I only had a couple of months to live, which was a huge shock [but] the drugs worked so quickly, and the lump disappeared as fast as it appeared.”
“I’d encourage anyone to consider taking part in a clinical trial if that is a viable option for them,” Mike concluded.
Featured Image – The Christie NHS
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
1st October 2024 
